Politics
RSG Unveils Wike’s 100 Days Programme
Programme of activities marking the celebration of the first 100 days of Governor Nyesom Wike’s second term administration was unveiled last week .
The Secretary to Rivers State Government, Dr Tammy Danagogo, who is the chairman of the 100 days celebration committee, unveiled the activities lined up for the event during a press conference he addressed last Friday at the Banquet Hall in Government House, Port Harcourt.
According to the Secretary to the State Government, the ceremony, which kicks off today, Monday 9th September, 2019, with a Media Chat with the Governor terminates Friday, 27 September, 2019.
He stated that sixteen people oriented projects cutting across various sectors, would be commissioned at the event.
The Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Information and Communication, Pastor Paulinus Nsirim, solicited for the cooperation and effective coverage of the events by the media.
The Governor declared the intention of his administration to transform Port Harcourt, the state capital, to a major tourist destination in the country.
He said this Friday after inspecting some ongoing projects in Port Harcourt and its metropolis, noting that facilities at the Port Harcourt Pleasure Park were being developed into global tourist attraction.
He described the new Cinema at the park as a five star facility that could arrest the drift to Dubai because of its high entertainment standard.
Still on projects, Governor Wike inspected sites of the three proposed new flyovers in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor Local Government Areas which he promised to construct in his second term administration. The proposed new flyover bridges are Artillery, Rumuokoro, and Garrison.
He went to the sites last Saturday with engineers, contractors and the Permanent Secretary, Rivers State Ministry of Works and the Director-General, Rivers State Bureau for Public Procurement, Mr Igonibo Emmanuel Thompson for necessary assessment.
Within the week the governor appointed Mrs Grace Akpoughanum Okwulehe, as the Acting Chairman, Rivers State Senior Secondary schools Board.
Governor Wike who made the appointment, Wednesday said the appointment takes immediate effect.
Wike also landlord held a meeting with members of the taskforce on street trading, illegal markets and motor parks last Monday in Government House and announced that mobile courts on the taskforce would become operational last week to prosecute offenders.
He said: “ From tomorrow, magistrates will sit at the various locations to prosecute offenders of the law banning street trading.
“ Your business is to arrest the offenders in line with the law and take them to the magistrates for trial. Anyone that is guilty will be sanctioned by the magistrate”.
Following this, some alleged offenders were arraigned before some of the magistrates for prosecution.
Governor Wike warned the taskforce members to operate within the confines of the law.
The governor, last week, again accused security agencies of being involved in oil bunkering and called for a strong partnership between the States and Federal Government in the fight against oil theft in the country.
Wike made the call during a courtesy visit by Konrad Adenauer ( German Foundation) with Mr Andreas Lammel and Dr Joachim Pfeiffer of the German Federal Parliament, Monday at the Government House, Port Harcourt.
He said: “ The issue of oil theft, some of the security agencies are part of it. When you see oil bunkering, the security agencies are involved. They are fully involved”.
He also accused the multinational oil firms of patronising cult groups for surveillance jobs and called for collaboration with the German Government, and the German foundation in the fight against insecurity.
Chris Oluoh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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